Hello?
by cup.o.noods
Summary: No one ever tells you what happens when Noodle comes tumbling unexpectedly out of the FedEx crate. What happens when she's not wanted by someone at first, and when she's often tried to be ridden of? Rated T for Mudsie's mouth of course. ISH FINISHED!
1. Do you come with a receipt?

_(AN: okay, first story at the moment, though i have about a zillion in my head...anyways. It's okay, i suppose, for the first story, though I'll have to wait for reviews for that.)_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Russel, Noodle, Muds, or (regrettably) 2D. Or anything else of the Gorillaz. sighs_

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"Go ge' the door, dullard."

"Awright, awright. Don' 'ave ta chuck the beer at me."

2D scratched his blue hair as he walked forward; dodging the empty beer cans still being tossed at him. Reaching the door, he flung it open, watching as a burly man greeted him.

"'Allo?" 2D said curiously.

"I'm here for a Mr. Murdoc Niccals and a Mr. Stuart Tusspot?"

"'Ey, Murdoc! Door!"

Murdoc soon stumbled into sight, multicolored eyes staring hazily at the newcomer. "Wot you want?" he asked harshly.

The man merely blinked and looked at his clipboard. "I got a delivery for ya." With that he motioned his hand and two more muscled men walked forward carrying a large crate. The dropped it unmercifully at the two artists then turned around and walked away, scrambling away from zombies who approached and snarled at them.

Murdoc, uninterested by recent events belched and walked off, leaving 2D to stare at the crate. He was still staring when Russell walked over and closed the door. "What'd ya get?" the black man asked.

2D merely shrugged.

"Well let's get it to the TV room." Russ heaved the crate onto his shoulders and his muscles bulged as he carried it to the room where Murdoc was yelling at the TV.

Ignoring Murdoc's profane commands to move out of the way of the TV, Russ worked on hacking through the side of the crate. Rewarded with a creaking of the wood, Russ grinned and tore it off.

Even Murdoc muted the TV with curiosity and peered inside with the other two men. The crate was dark, and the room too light for them to see exactly what was in it. Russ reached in, feeling around, and his face contorted with confusion as his finger poked something soft. A squeak was heard and they all jumped back.

"Wot the 'ell is that?" Murdoc snapped, and Russ shrugged as they watched the crate. A shadow moved inside, and 2D moved a bit further back while Russ prepared to fight and Murdoc just watched, a bit more tense.

Suddenly a small girl stumbled out of the crate, rubbing her eyes. "Ohaiyo gozaimasu?" (good morning?) She offered is a sleepy voice as Murdoc let out a yell.

"RETURN IT! RETURN IT, DAMNIT!" Murdoc yelled as he scrambled backwards with the rest. 2D watched the small girl curiously as she woke up a bit more and looked around.

"Doko desu ka?" (where am I?) The girl inquired, peering at Murdoc.

"Did you come with a receipt?" he muttered fiercely and Russ shot him a glare.

"Nihongo ga wakarimasu ka?" (Do you speak Japanese?) She asked, making Murdoc's head spin with the fast language.

2D, however, was fascinated by the small girl. He looked at her almost as though she was an interesting pet. He poked her, his eyes wide. "Wot's your name, love?" he asked her.

However, with his touch the girl let out a yell and leapt back, her hands straight and posed for a fight. 2D was startled, but he didn't seem affected. "Name?"

The girl looked around, then got up and walked abruptly off, into the kitchen. Russ and 2D followed the girl, astonished looks in their eyes as Murdoc tore through the crate looking for some means of returning her.

In the kitchen, the girl was going through cupboards and the refrigerator like an animal while Russ and 2D gaped. She grabbed a ramen packet and looked curiously at the plastic with Japanese kanji written in bubbly symbols. She pointed to it, and 2D, thinking she had no idea what it is, said, "Noodles." The girl looked back at the packet, then up at 2D. She pointed again.

"Noodle."

Point.

"Noodle."

Point.

"Noodle."

Finally the girl screwed up her face and put it back, looking for more food. Russ handed her a bottle of water and she hopped up on the counter, drinking it. Suddenly a shout was heard from the TV room.

"'OLY 'ELL!"

Russ backed up a bit to look at Murdoc, who was gaping at a gorgeous Les Paul he had pulled out of the crate. "Where the 'ell did she get this?" he yelled and stormed into the kitchen. He looked at the girl who imitated the curious gaze.

"You're so young, what are you doing with this?" he asked harshly.

The girl merely smiled and took her guitar. She gave a huge cheesy grin. "NOODLE!" she piped, and hugged the guitar.

One of Murdoc's eyebrows rose as he gave up. "Okay. Whatever….." He stormed back into the TV room and a popping noise was heard as he opened another beer. You could hear him muttering to himself. "I'm gonna need about thirty of these…"


	2. Axe princess

_(pretty much same AN as the chapter before, i've got another chapter to post after this one. hope you like the story, i wrote these first four chapters in about two hours while multitasking with keeping the dog from entertained. hope it's okay)_

_Disclaimer: I dont own Gorillaz, sadly enough_

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In few hours, Kong was a little less hectic. (AN: is that humanly possible?) The crate had been thrown out, and the girl was being fed. They all sat at the table, Murdoc downing pizza like a pig, Russ was eating some concoction he had made earlier, and 2D was picking at his tiny slice of pizza. The girl, however, was peeling pepperoni off her slice and staring at the grease dripping piece of meat. "Nan _desu _ka?" (what IS this?) She asked in horror.

Murdoc stopped stuffing his face and looked at her. "Don't you speak English?" he muttered before diving back into the pizza.

"Obviously not…" Russ told him, then went back to his food. 2D, who looked entirely uninterested at the thought of eating, abandoned his food to ask the girl yet again what her name was.

Upon asking her about the three thousandth time, she finally exploded.

"Seijin' I'jousha seiyoouki desu!" (Psychotic monkey!) She cried, sticking a finger in the air to make her point. "Sho utagai desu! Shotto roppou desu ka!" (Many questions! Shut up!) She calmed down a bit, panting, and the kitchen was silent for a moment.

The silence was broken by a squishy, gross sound made by the toppings on Murdoc's pizza slipping off and splattering greasily onto the plate. His red eye twitched. "Yeh sure we can't return 'er?" he asked helplessly before 2D spoke up.

"Name?"

"Aiiyahhh…" the girl muttered before going back to inspecting the meat.

When they finished eating, the little Japanese girl left the table and climbed up on the counter once more, watching Russ clean the dishes and 2D toss the garbage away. Her expression was half hidden by violet bangs that fell just above her nose, but her head was cocked the side, offering a look of curiosity.

Murdoc was watching TV, but from the corner of his eye, he watched the young girl, observing her every move, though denying that he was watching her when asked.

When everything was cleaned up, Russ motioned for the girl to follow him. She stuck her hands in her oversized purple jacket and trailed after him, 2D ambling after her.

In the TV room, Murdoc wore a look of disgust as he saw the girl once more. "So why is she here?" he growled after Russ forced him to shut the TV off.

"I'm not sure." Russ replied, and looked back at the girl. "The only thing that REALLY throws me off is why she has a Les Paul."

Perking up a little bit as she saw the three men look at her guitar, the girl picked it up, strapping it on. This action made the men look back at her; Russ' expression was of wonder, 2D's was of curiosity, and Murdoc's wasn't quite readable.

Suddenly, with no warning, the girl's fingers began to move, a sound erupting from the Les Paul like the trio had never heard before. The melody consumed them as she played, a simple smile on her face. Finally the incredible, impossible noise ebbed away into the silence, leaving the girl to stare questioningly at the jaws that were currently on the floor.

"Noodle!" she said happily.

Murdoc was the first to break the silence by clearing his throat nervously. "Well I think we got the guitarist we placed in the ad for."

2D looked up in confusion. "Are you tellin' me they sent us a guitarist through the mail?"

Silence.

2D brightened. "That's convenient!"


	3. Noodle girl

_(of course i have no reviews because i posted four chapters at once, but...anyways. i'll wait for them anyway? shrugs oh well.)_

_Disclaimer: blah blah blah, not owning gorillaz and stuff_

Still reluctant, Murdoc wouldn't drop the fact that she was a girl and that he didn't want her to stay.

"I'm tellin' you, she can't stay 'ere!" the bassist mumbled when the girl was out of earshot, tuning her guitar.

Russ looked up from his hands. "Well it's not like we can send 'er through the mail again."

Murdoc was unimpressed. "Why not?"

2D was siding with Russ. "She IS good on the guitar…" he offered, but Murdoc silenced him with a smack on the head.

"What the 'ell do we wan' with a girl runnin' around 'ere? With three men about ten yea's older than 'er? The media will think we're doin' some'm gross."

Russ ended the matter. "We'll decide in the morning."

The bassist opened his mouth to complain but Russ shot him a death glare and Murdoc fell quiet, only muttering incomprehensibly under his breath as he left the room cursing for his Winnebago.

Russ rubbed his forehead, sighed, and stood up.

"'D, could you show the girl a place to sleep? There's gotta be somewhere in this place she can crash."

2D nodded, seemingly unaware of the tension. Russ left, leaving the girl to look up at the exit, putting down the guitar. "Konban wa?" (Good night?) She called after him, getting a small wave from Russ even though he hadn't a clue what she had said.

The violet-haired guitarist gazed curiously over at 2D through her bangs, waiting for something to happen. 2D rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"'Ey, love, we're gonna find ya somewhere to sleep, kay?" He held out his hand towards the little girl, and she looked at it, then stood up energetically and took his hand, her little fingers lost in his oversized ones.

Instantly 2D fell in love with the girl in a way a young boy would fall in love with a new puppy as soon as she took his hand. He smiled down at her. "Come on, love." He said, and started forward. He picked up her guitar and led her down the hall.

They walked down endless corridors and dark hallways until he reached a small white door and opened it.

It was a small room, not to big, though enough for a little Japanese girl who was probably only staying the night (though longer if 2D had anything to say about it). The girl, still holding his hand, dragged him in. She stretched her arms out.

"OOOOOOOKII!" (BIIIIIIIG!) She squealed and jumped up on the tiny bed that was attached to the middle of the wall, making a sort of loft bed. She sat cross legged and smiled at 2D who watched her with amusement etched on his face.

"Noodle!" she said in a voice that sounded like her way of saying 'Thank you'. 2D grinned.

"Awright, love. You need a name." he told her.

She repeated her statement, obviously not understanding him. "Noodle!"

"Okay. Okay. Now get some sleep, Noodle-girl." He told her affectionately and pointed to the bed.

She got the point and pulled off her coat, now in a white T-shirt and purple shorts. She took off long white socks and her shoes and flung them to the floor, then curled up underneath the covers.

2D flicked off the lights and patted her on the head, smiling. "G'night, Noodle-girl." He told her, then closed the door.

He was about to let go of the door handle when a shriek was heard within. He flew into the room once more, looking for zombies, when it was just her, a terrorized look on her face.

"Wot's wrong, love?" he asked her, wondering if Murdoc had hidden under her bed or something. "Did you get hurt or sommat?"

'Noodle-girl' merely shook, her eyes so wide beneath her bangs that 2D could see the flecks of green in her dark eyes.

2D walked over to her bed, her door creaking almost closed, and she let out another whimper. He understood.

"You're afraid of the dark." He said, even though he knew it wasn't relevant that he say it out loud, she couldn't understand him. He thought for a moment, then opened her window, waiting for a zombie to moan past him.

When one did, he reached out and seized its hand, the rotted glowing blue flesh coming off entirely when he did so. Shutting the window quickly, he took a jar and stuck the hand inside, capping it. The hand glowed on, even without its owner providing a decent creepy night-light.

The girl's eyes were wide, then she burst out giggling. 2D smiled, then touched her head once more, and left.

Closing the door, he paused, making sure no more cries emitted from the room. When none came for a full five minutes, he walked back into the kitchen, taking another tiny bite of his pizza.

He knew he should eat, but he didn't want to. The idea of eating itself repulsed him, he'd had a problem with anorexia for years. It wasn't on purpose or anything, he just didn't like eating. Besides, Murdoc seemed pleased when he didn't eat, so at least that was a few less punches.

Giving up on the pizza, he tossed it in the trash and headed up to his room. After locking the door, he sat on his bed, looking out the window at the 'bago. It was still for once, no disgusting sounds emitting from its depths. He flopped backwards, not even bothering to take off his white t-shirt, and soon fell asleep, his thought circling lazily around the Japanese guitar master.

"G'night, Noodle-girl," he mumbled before falling asleep.


	4. Yeah, that's a noodle

_(Last chapter I have to post for today...i'll take a break for a while and scan the reviews to see if i should go on.)_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Gorillaz and don't own Noodle's dance moves, as much as I wish I could do them. Heh..._

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Murdoc awoke with a slight buzz, and he sat up, rubbing the back of his head, groaning. "Too many beers." He mumbled, "Too many beers."

He flopped out of bed, scratching his stomach lazily as he kicked smelly shirts around, looking for a pair of pants. Pulling on a dark grey pair of jeans, he didn't bother to click the belt shut, nor the button. Instead he walked around, filthy as usual, towards the 'bago's door. He kicked it open and grabbed a half-drained beer can on his way out.

Cursing nonchalantly at the annoying elevator shaft as it dinged its normal "It's there!" when he arrived at the second floor, he walked forward towards the kitchen. Having forgotten entirely the events of the day before, he merely belched and walked in, not paying attention to the occupants of the table. He yanked a pop-tart box out of the pantry and tore the plastic off with his teeth before fully noticing who occupied the kitchen.

"Noodle?" the small girl offered brightly, a thin ramen noodle trailing from her mouth.

Murdoc, startled, let out a small yell and dropped the pop-tart, spreading pastry crumbs all over the floor. Recovering, he shook his head back and forth, his dark brown bangs hiding the shock in his multicolored eyes. Regaining his normal rough composure, he snorted.

"Yeh, girl. That's a noodle."

"Noodle!"

Murdoc snorted again and got another pop-tart, cramming the entire thing in his mouth and washing it down with beer. The girl watched this, then shrugged and went back to picking at her ramen with makeshift chopsticks---a bunch of toothpicks taped together with Scotch tape.

Tossing the empty can aside, the bassist made his way to the TV room, his eyes still watching the little girl who peered at him through her bangs while she slurped ramen. He walked out of her gaze as he slouched onto the couch, shoving 2D aside who merely glared, then adjusted to sitting somewhere else.

Russ came up the elevator shaft, being announced by the ever-present "elevator music" of "It's comin' up, it's comin' up, it's comin' up…It's there! DING" The other artists' eyes were glued to the infomercial about a push-up bra when Russ approached them. He glanced at the commercial, shook his head in disgust as he turned around and waved to the Japanese guitarist.

The small girl looked up from what was left of her ramen, stared blankly at Russ, then gave a bright cheesy smile, then immediately withdrew once more into her ramen. Startled, Russ inched back into the TV room to discuss her placement.

"So. Have you guys thought of anything else you want to say before I say that the girl can stay?"

Murdoc's head snapped away from the TV. "Uh, yeah."

"Well let's hear it."

"Okay."

"Well?"

"NOOOOOO!"

2D perked up. "I gots somfink to say!" he put in, and Russ looked his direction.

"Can she stay?"

Murdoc's eyes flashed. "I already told the lot of ya! The media'll have a bloody field day with the fact that we've taken in a 10 year old that we ordered in the mail!" He ran his fingers through his dirty hair and sighed. "Sure, why not."

2D's face lit up as he looked at Russ who nodded. "Noodle-girl!" he hollered, getting a "Hai?" from the kitchen. "YOU CAN STAY!"

The Japanese girl walked in as Murdoc raised an eyebrow. "You named it?"

2D blushed.

Russ shrugged. "Well that works."

The Japanese girl rubbed the rest of the sleep from her eyes. "Nan desu ka?" (What is it?)

2D pointed to her, then the floor. In confusion, she walked over and sat on the floor, causing Murdoc to let out a choke that disguised his laughter. 2D shook his head. "No. You. Stay."

She cocked her head.

"Stay."

She gazed at him.

"Stay."

"St….ay?"

"Stay."

"Stay?"

"Stay."

"NOODLE STAY!" the girl jumped up, to 2D's surprise, and did a little dance.

"Well that settles it," Murdoc muttered, going back to the TV.

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_(I could really use some reviews...i'm considering deleting and not continuing)_


	5. Changing lightbults?

_(Yay…I gots reviews…thank you for them. yay. -grins cheesily so, um, for those people that think I'm doing okay…here's more!)_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Gorillaz or natural blue hair even though my mom's face would be hilarious if I did…anyway…_

Later that afternoon Russ took Noodle to a store for some clothes and other items, leaving 2D and Murdoc at home to argue as usual.

"Why don' you like 'er?" 2D questioned, his eyes not leaving the TV.

Murdoc scoffed. "Are you serious? Do we need a lit'l girl runnin' around askin' why our underwear is on the floor? Why our rooms are messy? Why I hit yeh?" To demonstrate, he leaned over and grabbed the singer into a headlock, tightening unmercifully.

2D let out a squeak. "I was jus' jokin'! Come on, Muds!" His dark eyes widened as his voice choked off.

Murdoc let out a laugh. "See? See how we wouldn't need a girl runnin' around 'ere savin' you or nothing?"

Suddenly the DING of a certain elevator broke 2D's gasps. Noodle ran forward to greet the two, but she dropped the bags in shock when she came across the two. Her dark eyes wide beneath her bangs she let out a squeak.

Murdoc looked lazily over at her. "Wot?"

When she said nothing he turned back to strangling the singer, but was broken off by a scream.

He looked up to find that he could see just how fine of sand was embedded within Noodle's sandal.

Then he blacked out.

&&&&&&

When the bassist came to, he rubbed his face which stung. "Wot the 'ell was that!" he yelled and whoever was caring for him jumped away.

"Sumimasen!" came the immediate reply, and his vision un-fuzzed enough to see green flecked eyes looking worriedly towards him.

When Murdoc recognized the guitarist, he let out a yell and scrambled backwards, glaring at her.

"What the fuck did you do 'at for!"

Noodle played with the fringes of the carpet, searching for words. She merely offered her usual vocabulary. "Noodle?"

"NO! Not bloody 'noodle'! I want a fuckin' explanation!"

Noodle shrugged and stood up, leaving Murdoc to rub his searing face.

"Bloody…..'ell…." He groaned, and stood up. "Beer. Must have beer."

&&&&&&&

Russ led Noodle to her room, then left her to sort her things out.

2D poked his head in to watch Noodle unpack clothes.

"'Ey, love!" he said brightly, rubbing his neck to rid himself of Murdoc's finger-marks.

Noodle turned around and rewarded him with a huge grin. "Noodle!" she piped, then held up a hand as if to tell him to stay. 2D raised an eyebrow, but kept watching.

She turned around for a minute, and he could hear the rustling of the shopping bag. She let out an "oomph" as she put something on, then she spun around to face him, her eyes sparkling as her new helmet pulled most of her bangs off her face.

2D coughed to cover up his laughter. Noodle stood before him in a white helmet striped with blue and red, and huge blue cylinders on her ears with antennae attached to both. She looked like a space monkey.

"That's….that's nice!" he sputtered, covering his mouth.

Noodle put her skinny hands on her hips, mock glaring at him. Then she shrugged and spread her arms, running around the room making airplane noises.

"Silly girl," 2D said as he scooped her up and stuck her on his shoulders, running around the tiny room.

He had the little girl in hysterics as she squealed with laughter when Murdoc ambled past the room, a look of horror on his face. 2D's face flooded with red as he almost dropped Noodle with embarrassment.

"She was…I just….um…..changin' lightbulbs?" he offered lamely as he scrambled out of the room after dropping Noodle on her bed.

Murdoc watched him go. "Not….askin'….."


	6. She speaks!

_(Amazing how boredom can pester you into writing multiple chapters per hour. Here's more if anyone cares to read. Suggestions on any plots are completely welcome if you'd like to see something happen.)_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Gorillaz despite what I may claim on too much caffeine_

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Noodle disappeared for the rest of that day, and whenever 2D or Russ would peek in her room, a flurry of Japanese curses flew to meet them as they quickly slammed the door in embarrassment.

"Wot's she doin'?" Murdoc grumbled as he downed a bag of chips.

"Dono, she's up there locked in her room, I think she was reading something." 2D responded, blue hair falling into his puzzled black eyes.

"Who cares. It's a _book._" Murdoc said with horror at the word 'book'.

Russ spoke up. "I wonder if it's some Japanese guitar magazine."

No one replied to the last comment as another infomercial filled the TV screen, this one about diet pills. So of course pictures of "After" flooded the screen, and all three artists' eyes goggled.

&&&&&&&&&&

When dinner came around and Russ placed his latest concoction on the table, Murdoc and 2D ambled into the kitchen.

"'Ey look!" 2D said happily. "Food!" He sat down and poked the mass of goo. "I fink…."

"Yeah…what is this stuff, Lards?" Murdoc cut in, eyeing his food warily.

"Japanese dumplings." Russ said proudly, but gave his cookbook a double-take. "At least that's what it started out as. Anyway, I wanted Noodle to eat somethin' familiar."

"The only thin' that this would be familiar teh would be toe jam," Murdoc muttered as he slumped into his seat, looking longingly at the microwave TV dinners on top of the refrigerator.

They waited for the small girl for about ten minutes before Murdoc finally stood up. "I'll go get 'er." He said as he stomped off for the lift.

Arriving on the fourth floor, Murdoc stepped out and wandered towards the direction he knew Noodle's room was.

He opened one door, discovering only a moaning zombie crammed into a broken down toilet. Nope.

Opening another door he found himself staring into a closet crammed full of knick-knacks. Looking closer he found a picture of Paula and 2D (AN: CURSE THAT TWO TIMER. SHE SHOULD BE STRUNG BY HER BELLYBUTTON! –ahem- anyway…). He scanned the rest of the stuff, finding it was all of Paula's old stuff and things that would remind 2D of her. He grinned wickedly to himself, remembering why she wasn't there anymore, and closed the door.

Opening yet another door, he finally found Noodle curled up on her loft bed, buried in a thick volume bigger than her head. Japanese kanji ran up and down the cover and spine, making this book even more difficult to identify why on earth Noodle would want to read it.

Murdoc ignored this and coughed. "Food." He said simply, having no idea whether she would understand him or not.

Noodle's head snapped up, glaring at him through the few strands that fell from the helmet she was still wearing. "AUTO!" she screamed at sight of him. "AUTO AUTO AUTO!" (out, out, out!) Murdoc stumbled back.

"FOOD." He repeated stubbornly, pointing towards his open mouth and growling stomach.

Noodle still glared, but her eyes watched this.

"Food?"

"Food."

"Food."

Murdoc rolled his eyes as turned around and walked off, muttering to himself. "Why I try, I don't know."

He was about to close the lift as Noodle re-appeared and slipped in as the doors closed. He looked down at her, his expression blank.

"What….looking at?" Noodle offered fiercely, a silent smile on her face as she watched Murdoc's mouth drop open. She walked proudly out of the elevator as Shaun announced that they were there.

Murdoc stared after her as he followed, sitting down quietly for once and eating without question.

After five minutes of silence in eating, Russ looked up at Murdoc, sort of creeped out. "Muds?" You okay?"

Murdoc looked up, his eyes still wide as he pointed to Noodle with his plastic spork. "The kid…insulted me."

Russ snorted, laughter in his voice. "Oh, how horrible it is to be insulted with the word 'Noodle' and –gasp- possibly 'stay' if she feels venomous enough!" He broke out into laughter as Murdoc's eyes shot fire.

"No! She…she spoke English!"

Russ looked towards Noodle who merely cocked her head to the side. "Noodle?" she asked in an innocent voice once more.

The drummer looked back at Murdoc, his face now tight and the laughter gone from his voice. "Come off it, Muds. She's only ten and she just got here. She can't speak English, don't try and make it seem as though she's evil." He shook his head and went back to the "dumplings".

2D shrugged at Noodle when she turned her innocent gaze to him and looked down, eating once more.

Murdoc looked incredulously at Noodle, a "WTF was that for?" look on his face that was returned by a mock sinister grin by the guitarist as she saw no one was looking.

"Fine. War it is," Murdoc mumbled into his mouthful.

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_(Evil Noodle! Bwahahahaaa! Sorry, I had a bit of sugar before writing this...heh...)_


	7. Why is he in the fridge?

_(Thanks for the reviews. –does happy dance- and just as a note, after this next couple chapters, I probably won't be on for a long time, and it'll be rare when I post a chapter. I'm going back to my mom's and will only come back every other weekend, so for the people who for some reason like my story, you'll have to occupy your attention to some other author.)_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Gorillaz or thankfully Russel's cooking_

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Dinner ended quickly and Noodle dashed upstairs once more instead of helping with the dishes or anything.

"Her second day here," Russ sighed. "She's growin' up so fast."

"An' she'll be leavin' the next." Murdoc growled as he left for the Winnebago.

2D's eyes looked up. "But—"

"She's staying," Russ assured him, but his eyes watched Murdoc leave.

2D shrugged as he finished with the dishes and headed up to Noodle's room.

"Noodle-girl?" he called out as he knocked. He heard a thud as she jumped off her bed and opened the door.

"Konnichi wa…2D-san?" she spoke his name tentatively, as if trying a new flavor of ice cream. Then she shrugged and hopped back up on her bed, opening her book again.

"What'chu readin', love?" he asked as he leaned against the loft, gazing at the symbols he read over her shoulder.

She looked up at him, then her eyes widened as she seemed to remember something. She snapped the book shut as if the singer could actually read it, then shoved it underneath her as she sat cross legged on top of the three-inch thick book. She grinned up at him.

"Um, awright then," the vocalist said with confusion etching his voice. He shrugged as he looked around at her decorations. Japanese kanji was scrawled down a piece of parchment and taped on the wall, a bunch of clothes now filled up the closet, and little trinkets were scattered across bookshelves were empty of reading material spare a few huge volumes like the one she was sitting on now.

"Looks like yeh got some stuff," he said lamely, trying to start a conversation, thought knowing it was futile as the girl didn't exactly speak English.

Noodle looked up at him, a curious look on her face as she watched 2D attempt to talk to her, a bemused expression behind her eyes.

2D gave up and merely rapped her helmet twice and walked off.

Opening the book once more, the guitarist pored over the symbols, occasionally saying something out loud. For twenty minutes, Noodle's room was peaceful and quiet, until she heard Russ shout "2D and I are headin' out for food and stuff! BYE!" She merely ignored this, and kept reading.

But as the house grew quieter and colder, Noodle shivered, pulling on an oversized sweatshirt she found in 2D's room that fell to her calves and abandoning her book. Wandering around the fourth floor, Noodle chewed on the edge of the dark blue hoodie's sleeves that fell about a foot past her own fingers, peering in different rooms and around corners in curiosity.

Figuring the bassist was lounging around in the 'bago, this gave her the perfect opportunity to explore Kong. She grinned to herself and raced to the lift. Listening to Shaun announce her arrival, she raised an eyebrow. "Why does it DO that?" she wondered curiously as she stepped out towards the kitchen.

Noodle rubbed her eyes as she opened the fridge, and when she opened them, she found Murdoc standing in the doorframe to the enormous fridge, grinning wickedly. "'Ello, love."

Noodle screamed and stumbled backwards, startled out of her wits.

Murdoc screwed up his face and winced as she screamed, and when she finished, she stuck his fifth finger in his ear and twisted it around, pulling it out, sighing. "Jeez, love. Can ya scream any higheh?"

Noodle swallowed and recovered, pulling the hood over her helmet and turning away from him while she raided the pantry. Murdoc watched her with cold eyes, still in the refrigerator.

Finding a "Cup o' Noodles" (AN: yaaay for my user name! –ahem- sorry…moving on.) she took this out, stuck it in her mouth while she pushed past the bassist and grabbed a bottle of water. She shot him an angry glare as she walked past with these items, saying nothing.

"Wot, speechless for once, eh?" Murdoc called to her retreating back, snorting. "Weren' so speechless las' nigh', were ya? Yeh said som'm in English, I know yeh can speak it!"

Noodle ignored him and the lift doors closed.

&&&&&&&&&&

Once in the safety of her room, Noodle's nerves exploded. Her shaking fingers dropped the Styrofoam cup and the water and she sat on the bed, her heart pounding. Murdoc had given her quite the scare. And what the heck was he doing in the fridge! She pushed these thoughts aside and tore an even bigger book off her shelf and furiously opened it, gnawing on the uncooked noodles as she read with more determined stamina.

An hour later, and empty cup later, and an exhausted Noodle later, she was found by 2D collapsed on a chair, her brows furrowed a bit in her sleep. The singer smiled softly and gently took off her helmet, placing it on the bookshelf. He picked the tiny girl up bridal style, carried her the short distance to her bed, and laid her down, pushing back her messy hair. Gazing at her for a moment, he shook his head.

"Wot's she done to meh?" he asked himself quietly, grinning.

2D left the room, closing the door silently and tiptoeing off downstairs, only to be greeted by the sight he would normally see before Noodle's crate arrived: Murdoc buried in crumbs on the couch without a shirt and staring at the TV screen, and Russ moving around in the kitchen, muttering something about having to use baking soda instead of baking powder (AN: which is going to lead to disaster…my mom made me learn how to cook sadly enough….ok, shutting up now) to himself and making dinner.

The blue-haired artist sighed. Maybe it was a good thing Noodle showed up. It gave him something to do……


	8. MUAHAHAHAAAA!

_(Yay! More boredom! –sarcasm- I'm here in Washington on a surprise trip with my dad for my grandpa…wait…you don't want to hear that…anyways, I'll probly have a lot of time to write considering I have the house to myself for another hour or so. So…um…here you are. Attack at will.)_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Gorillaz or a monkey (that would be so cool!...shutting up…)_

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Murdoc gazed at the screen blankly, his mind not really paying attention to whatever he was supposed to be watching. Instead, his thoughts drifted to what happened before the other artists' came home. He grinned to himself, and evil look in his eye as he remembered Noodle's face when she opened the fridge and saw him standing there.

He was still grinning when 2D walked into the TV room and found him there.

"Uhhhh…..erm…..Muds?"

"WOT?"

"Wot are you smilin' at?"

"None uf yeh business."

"But…Muds…"

"Wot?"

"It's a male model competition…and i's gettin' creepy…"

Murdoc snapped to his senses and saw to his horror a muscular man flexing at the screen in nothing more than a skimpy speedo. His grin disappeared in a nanosecond and he let out a yell and grabbed around for the remote before finding it under his rear. He flicked the channel away, his red eye twitching.

"Li' I said, Muds…wot are yeh grinnin' at?"

Murdoc turned three shades of red. "No'un."

2D's look of 'I-do-NOT-want-to-know' remained as he inched out of the TV room and into the kitchen.

Russ turned his head around from cursing at his mix of food. "'Ey." The big man said.

"'Ey."

"Where's Noods?"

"Sleepin'."

"Oh. Is she eatin' or what?"

"I dono. I'll ask Muds to give 'er a plate la'er on."

"Whatever."

&&&&&&&&&&&

Soon enough, 2D shoved a plate under Murdoc's nose.

Unaccustomed to what he deciphered as service, the bassist grabbed the food and took an enormous bite out of the somewhat blackened lasagna before 2D snatched it away.

"'EY!" Murdoc roared. "Gimmeh meh food!"

"It's not YOURS, Muds."  
"The 'ell it's not! GIVE!"

"It's Noodle's! Can yeh take it up to 'er?"

Murdoc was preparing to punch the singer when what small portions of brains he had clicked. A golden (though rusty) opportunity presented itself, and he suddenly turned from demonic 2D hater to gracious butler.

"O' course!" he soothed and took the plate from 2D's astonished hands. "I'm not 'oo hungry, don' wait up for meh." And with that the filthy man disappeared from view, the lift "DING"-ing closed.

2D stared after his bandmate, his mouth dropped open and his hand still opened as though he was still holding Noodle's dinner.

"Yo! Stu!" came a call from the kitchen. "Yeh eatin' or not?"

"Uhhh….yeah…." 2D managed to say and made his way to the kitchen and ate, his brain still not quite understanding. The two ate in silence before the drummer looked up from scarfing his food.

"Where's Muds?" Russ said, his face full of alarm when he noticed that the Japanese guitar master was missing too.

2D took a moment to swallow his bite, then shrugged. "'E's givin' Noods some food like I asked 'im to."

Russ sat for a few minutes, taking this in. Then he stared at 2D. "You…sent….Murdoc….to….Noodle's….room…..ALONE." he stated incredulously.

The other looked up. "Yeh, that's wot I said."

"Alone."

2D thought for a second. Then his face contorted with understanding, then horror. "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh……"

"Yeah."

"Oh."

"Yeah."  
"FUCK!"

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_(i knows it's kind of short, but meh folks are home and I'm not entirely sure if I can be on the laptop...crap...so, um, I'll close this, it ended up working pretty well anyways, and I'll see what chapters I can cram in before goin back to meh mom's. Fanks for all reviews!)_


	9. Maps

(_Hey look…another chapter…doo dee doo…)_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Gorillaz or even a glowing blue zombie nightlight. (imagine my brother's faces if I did…)_

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Meanwhile Murdoc had proudly exited the lift on the fourth floor with Noodle's food. The bassist smirked as he emptied Noodle's food into the toilet still occupied by a stuck zombie and closed the bathroom door.

He knocked on the ten year old's bedroom, and listened as she slammed the book shut and stomped towards the door.

"Hai?" came an annoyed voice from inside.

"Food, love," he said, imitating the singer's voice.

Noodle opened the door, and when he saw her, she had her back turned, beckoning what she thought was the singer inside of her room.

Murdoc grinned, and did just that, closing the door behind him.

"Gomen nasai," she said nonchalantly, her back still turned. "Fushidara desu."

"Uh…okay." The bassist offered, allowing his rough voice to return. Noodle whirled to face him, horror and shock in her eyes.

"AUTO!" she screamed upon recovery, but this time, Murdoc didn't move. She had nowhere to go. Noodle glared at him so hard, you would have thought Death himself had passed directly between her and Murdoc, leaving the air around them tight and cold.

"Wot's up?" he asked lazily.

Noodle sighed and rubbed her temples. "Food?" she asked impatiently.

Murdoc grinned. "It was…uh….indisposed when ya took too lon' ta answer the door." He guessed she understood him, for his statement only made her fume even more.

"C'mon…." he said, tantalizing her. "I know ya wanna speak English."

"Iie." She said stubbornly, kicking her book out of view.

Murdoc scratched his stubbled chin, then shrugged. "Awright, then. No English, no food."

Noodle scowled, picked up the book, and flipped through it. A second later, she looked up defiantly, fire in her eyes. "Damn….you." she said haltingly, but pure satisfaction in her slitted eyes.

The bassist's anger caught in his throat as he resisted the urge to slap the girl, but he knew Russ would have his hide if he found out. Instead, he pushed his testosterone down and instead laughed awkwardly.

Noodle's look of triumph dissolved into one of confusion. "Nani?"

Murdoc grinned at her. "I'm rubbin' off on yeh. Lards won' like that."

Noodle merely glared and prepared to shove the bassist out of her room, but instead, he held up a jangling key ring. "Wanna go for a spin?" he asked cheesily.

&&&&&&&&&&&

Ten minutes later after yelling and coaxing, Murdoc convinced Noodle to take the stairs to the carpark instead. Jogging down the steps, Noodle was muttering to herself in Japanese, telling herself that the only reason she was going was because her stomach was screaming at her.

Murdoc opened the geep door, and Noodle climbed in, looking interested. She poked the rubix cube dangling from the rearview mirror, then sat quietly in her seat.

"We're gonna ge' som'm ta eat, Noodle-girl, jus' you an' me. Ta make up for us hatin' each other and all. 'Ow's that?"

Noodle stared at him with the same expression 2D had given him a while ago. But she looked away from his mismatched eyes, staring at the dashboard inside. Was it possible for Murdoc Niccals to actually make up with her? She peered through her bangs at him, watching him focus blandly on the road. What evil plot was going on inside his horrible head of his?

They drove in silence for quite some time before Murdoc finally slowed the geep and stopped in front of a Chinese take-out restaurant. He gave a sly half-grin revealing dirty pointed teeth when the geep shuddered to a halt.

"'Ere's some familia' food for yeh." He said in his best attempt to be a bright voice.

Noodle slowly moved her eyes up so instead of gazing upon his mismatched ones, she looked at the "CHINESE" part of the sign, then back down to Murdoc.

"Uhhhh…" she mumbled, one eyebrow raised.

Oblivious, the bassist merely shrugged and waited for her to get the food. She watched him carefully as she picked up her bag and walked inside the take-out store, eyeing him, expecting any moment for the geep to swerve away.

But the wheels stayed in place as she got in, ordered, waited, and picked up the paper boxes and two chopsticks. Walking back outside, her steps were a bit lighter, she had expected Murdoc to leave her alone in an unfamiliar city to find her way back, IF she could find her way back. She opened her door and hopped inside, slamming the door after her.

Handing Murdoc his box and his chopsticks, she began to eat quickly, the food soothing the gnawing in her stomach. When she finished, she sighed with a relaxed feeling and leaned back in her seat. She looked over a Murdoc who had earlier given up on struggling with the chopsticks, and ate the noodles and rice with his fingers, sticking the chopsticks into a passerby's ear who in turn screeched and ran around in circles.

Finished, Murdoc revved up the engine and they both took off down the street, Noodle's spirits lifted and her stomach rejuvenated.

When the geep slowed once more, they were further downtown, the people of Essex swarming everywhere. It was a sea of heads, and made Noodle's vision drown in the sea as she tried to contain it all. She looked over at the bassist who let the engine stall.

"Oh, one more stop, love," he said. Something in his voice made her look over at him in confusion. "The li'rary."

"Nani?"

"Li'rary. You can read up on maps and stuff."

"What….for?" she struggled, scrambling for words she had memorized.

Suddenly, Murdoc leaned over and savagely pushed the guitarist out of the geep. He slammed the door, and started to pull away, calling after her, "So you can find your way back into the FedEx crate and back out of our lives!"

With that he floored it and was gone, leaving the astonished, betrayed, hurt, and lost Noodle to try and keep her balance amid the crowd.

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_(Awww...poor Noodle...)_


	10. Not squishy

_(Woo! You peoples like the story! Okay then, here's more. The TENTH….CHAPTER……-dramatic pause—anyways. –shoves story at peoples-- )_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Gorillaz or good migraine pills which SUCKS cause mine don't work_

_---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Grinning to himself, Murdoc Niccals floored it all the way home, losing five or six cops along the way, give or take. Well, the girl was gone, maybe now he wouldn't have to see the far-away look in 2D's eyes or have Russ telling him that he should drink less and try and clean up. Clean up, my foot!

He arrived at Kong, noting its silence, and wondered if they had caught on to his scheme yet. Parking the geep, he stumbled out, grabbing an almost empty beer bottle he found by the 'bago before slipping inside quietly. He heard voices on the fourth floor and rode up to the third, listening in a room whose ceiling was incredibly thin.

"What the fuck did he do to her?" The New Yorker's voice boomed, and Murdoc could hear him stomping around Noodle's room, as if she was crammed inside of a toy box or had fallen out the window.

"I'uh'o." 2D voice replied, and the bassist could just picture him shrug in the innocent way he always did.

"He better be glad I didn't find him in the Winne with her…" Russ growled, and Murdoc's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open, his shoulders shaking with disgust and horror.

"Ew…" he muttered, and Russ' voice continued.

"I wouldn't put it past him since he was starin' at the male models. God knows what was goin' through his mind…"

Murdoc shuddered. "EW." He said again, swallowing, trying to get the nasty taste out of his mouth at the thought of him doing that to a ten year old girl. Even the great Niccals wouldn't do something THAT perverted.

2D's voice broke in again. "Well mebbe 'e'll come back?" his voice was hopeful. "I mean 'e can't go too far with a lit'l Japanese girl…Noods'll 'e fine."

Russ's voice deepened, and Murdoc pictured the drummer shaking his head. "Hope so…" With that he could follow Russ' footsteps with his eyes as he heard the great thuds of his feet make their way to the shaft.

Murdoc flattened himself against the wall as much as possible as the elevator lift passed by, as if they could see through walls.

When he was positive they were gone and out of his way, the bassist punched the air. "Yehhhh!" he said triumphantly. "And now teh seal i' off." He took the empty, crumb filled plate he had emptied not too long ago and set it on top of Noodle's bed, then slipped away quietly, taking the stairs downstairs.

He walked through the kitchen, belching loudly to announce his presence. Russ was the first to whip around and grab him by the neck. "Where is she!" he snarled, tightening his grip. Murdoc forced himself to remain calm and benign as he responded, with somewhat of a squeaky voice.

"Who, Noodle?" he choked as calmly as he could. "'Ow the fuck am I supposed to know whe' she is? I just went out to ge' some'm teh drink." He raised his shaking fist which was still clutching the dirty beer bottle. "E'sides," he added. "I saw the plate I gave 'er on 'er bed."

Russ' empty eyes flicked from the bassist's face to his hand, then back up again. His grip loosened a bit, but his hands remained posed for a fight. "If I fin' out otherwise…" he growled, and slammed his fist into the wall just millimeters from Murdoc's face, causing his greasy hair to lift from the current it brought. Murdoc swallowed, and nodded, allowing Russ to release him and move away, still grumbling something about a hacksaw.

&&&&&&&&&&

Little Noodle watched the geep shriek off, and she gaped after it. Her stomach hurt something fierce, as if he had poisoned it merely with his words. She swallowed, rubbing her forearm as she walked towards the library. At least in his stupidity and search for a good comeback line, he had dropped her off somewhere useful.

She walked in, getting odd looks from the English people surrounding her. Shrugging off their gazes, she made her way to the maps section and pored through a map of Essex, England.

She found no writings, no trails, no recollection of Kong whatsoever, and she grimaced. Maybe the old zombie house wasn't supposed to be on the map. Whatever the case, she got nowhere as she slammed the huge atlas shut. She ran her fingers through her short hair, pulling it back into two short, spiky pigtails as she focused harder on another atlas, still getting no answers.

Finally, after an hour of failing research, the Japanese girl gave up. "Chigaimasu!" she said furiously, slamming the final book closed. She sighed and leaned back in her chair.

She exited the library and found a bus stop not far off. Getting on the bus, she dug out ten yen from her pocket, offering it to the driver. He peered at the little coins, and then back at her in confusion. "Girl, this don't even equal a penny."

She got the just of what he was trying to tell her, and blushed, taking back her money and getting off with embarrassment.

Fuming at Murdoc, she stormed down the street, trying to find some way of going home. She resorted to finding the Chinese store, and would try and find her way back to her new home from there.

&&&&&&&&&&&

Murdoc kept feeling this annoying pang of guilt with every swig of his drink and with every crunch of his Doritos. (AN: YAAAAAAAY DORITOS!) He clenched his teeth. "Wot is wrong wit me?" he snarled to himself. "I'm not guilty! I don't care!"

"Guilty abou' wot?" came the singer's voice, and Murdoc flinched.

"No'in."

"You said that when you were starin' at the models…" 2D said thoughtfully, then shrugged and slouched down into a chair, lanky limbs too big to really fit comfortably.

They gazed at the TV in silence for a while, until Murdoc stood up, surprising 2D as it wasn't even a commercial. He stormed out of the room, clenching his fists with anger. What the heck was he thinking, feeling sorry for her?

He didn't. No. Nope. Nothing. Aaaaabsolutely no feelings on this situation. No way.

But the feeling nagging in his gut remained as he stared at the 'bago's ceiling, as much as he tried to ignore it.

"HOW IS SHE DIFFERENT!" he yelled into the silence, causing his black feathered bird to shift uncertainly on his empty soup can perch.

"Shut up, Cortez…" the bassist muttered, as if the bird had just told him he was going soft, was getting old, was going all squishy inside.

"Not squishy…" moaned Murdoc. "Not squishy…"

Obviously half drunk, the bassist groaned again as he mumbled "not squishy" over and over until he fell asleep.

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_(Awww...the things Mudsie says when half-drunk...-grins-)_


	11. FINE!

_(what the heck is it with me and posting two chapters a day? Weird. Anyways, here's the next chapter…woo.)_

_Disclaimer: I do not own the band…blah…blah…blah. _

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Noodle eventually found her way to the Chinese take-out store when dusk was settling in on Essex. Less people crowded the streets, instead either groups of teenagers or lone individuals roamed occasionally past her, most of the stores around her closing.

Her tired feet and worn sandals trudged their way to the door, and sleepily started to go on, forgetting there was a door. After a moment she opened her eyes all the way and discovered her nose to be smudged up to the letter "L" of the "CLOSED" sign that glowed neon. She closed her eyes again and groaned. She had been walking for about four hours to find the store closed, not that it would really be relevant to go in.

Noodle turned around and slouched down the glass door, squeaking noises following her movements. She groaned and rubbed her feet, looking sleepily at the passerbys. How was she going to get back to Kong, and was it really worth it, if Murdoc was just going to smarm his way into getting her right back out? (AN: smarm…such a stupid word yet it fits here oddly enough…) She sighed and rubbed her eyes.

Her head rolled from side to side as she came to and from sleep, sitting right there in front of the Chinese take-out restaurant. After a few minutes, an old Chinese lady made her way towards her.

"Ca' I help yoooo?" the lady asked kindly, watching the tiny girl's sleepy eyes look up at her.

"Kon….konban wa…" Noodle croaked, and fell asleep.

&&&&&&&&&&

2D was restless the entire night. It was true, he had found Noodle's empty plate on her bed, crumbs littering her sheets as if she had eaten there, so surely Murdoc had taken dinner to her like he said? The singer rubbed his forehead, not entirely sure. A familiar twinge on the right side of his brain announced the coming of a migraine, he must not have paid attention to the warning signs.

He groaned and opened a drug bottle and crammed the pills into his mouth, not bothering to take a drink, instead swallowing them dryly down, wincing at their taste. There was nothing worse tasting than migraine meds. Something about migraines made your taste of pills change, and his body almost heaved them right back up before he downed a glass of water, forcing them back down.

Making a face as the migraine crept across the entire right portion of his head, he laid back down, waiting for the drugs to hit and knock him out. He occupied his mind by thinking about Noodle.

Was she okay? Had she meant to leave Kong? Was there someone to take her in at night? 2D sighed and squinted at the ceiling, trying to ignore the searing pain that burned like fire now on the left side of his head.

His thoughts swirled around the little girl's face until the drug's finally took over, sweeping him away into darkness, away from his worries, away from his pain.

&&&&&&&&&&&

Russ, instead, stayed up, unable to go to sleep while he worried about Noodle. The same questions that had revolved around the blue-haired artist invaded the drummer's mind, and more. Was she going to be able to eat? Would she ever come back? Would she want to, if he asked her to, once he found her? Because that was for certain, he was going to find the girl and take her back if she wanted. He smiled softly to himself at how the girl had overtaken his priorities, and he grinned even more as he realized he thought of her as a daughter. The one he never had, and probably never would.

Russ sighed, running a thick hand over his hair-less head. He was in his room, staring at the sloppy mess of clothes, shoes, and leftover pizza boxes. Hats littered his shelves, he had an endless supply, and his gaze paused on certain yellow visor. He was considering talking to Del, the ghost he was stuck with, but knowing the undead rapper would only suggest that he get over her and find some other chick to play the axe for them, he reconsidered.

Leaning back on his bed, he decided that the first thing he would do tomorrow, (after cooking of course) he would steal the keys from Murdoc, even if it meant prying them from his soon-to-be dead fingers, and take the geep out, search for Noods.

With his priorities a bit more straight, he allowed himself to be overcome by sleep, a bit more satisfied.

&&&&&&&&&&&&

Murdoc, however, snapped awake in the middle of the night, his anger flaring as he discovered the twinge of guilt remained in his conscience. In fact, he was surprised he even still HAD a conscience. He sat up, rubbing the back of his head, waking up permanently. There was no way he was going back to sleep with this much guilt in his mind. No way would ever admit he had such feelings, but he had to settle this once and for all.

Pacing the 'bago, Murdoc thought of his options. He could leave the girl where she was, hopefully never have to deal with her again, and go on with his charade of 'She left by herself'. He wasn't a bad liar, he would proudly admit that, having cheated on many girls, had got away with many sins, drugs, and booze, and the simple lies came so easily from his filthy mouth he often believed them himself. He could pull it off.

His other option, was to observe the others' feelings for the first time in his life, and see how 2D adored the girl, had fallen in puppy love with her, loved the thought of having a little girl he could play with like a pet. It was hard not to notice how he had brightened ever since she tumbled out of the crate. Russ on the other hand, was growing attached to her as well, it was hard not to see how he cooked with more effort, made more effort to clean and be entirely polite around her. Murdoc figured he saw her as his little baby girl, the way he was acting like a father.

Murdoc sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, still pacing. Not even having an affair with Paula had given him this trouble. With Paula, it'd only taken a few beers and a night without yelling at anyone to clear his conscience. He had thought if he just took the dirty looks and bad mouthing for a day, he would be even. But this…this was something he was not expecting.

Finally groaning and pulling on one of his famous grey/black long sleeved shirt that really hadn't been cleaned since he had got it in a used-tshirt bin, and who knew when it had been cleaned before then. Clicking his belt shut, he got in the geep barefoot, backing it out as quietly as possible. He would find Noodle, that was for sure. But even he would decide anything past there. Even if it meant driving up to her, saying, "'Ello, love. Sorry," and squealing off, that's what he would do.

But a thought passed through his mind before his eyes widened and he shoved it away when he realized that HE was thinking it:

"That's probably not going to happen…"

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(_HA! Mudsie's goin' soft!)_


	12. Shut up, Murdoc, just shut up

_(Mooooore chapters…BWAHAHAHAAA. Okay, shutting up now. Oh, and I got cake! YAY CAKE!)_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Gorillaz and stuffs like that. _

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The streets were pretty much empty as Murdoc drove slowly down them, trying to find the Chinese store again. For some odd reason he had a hunch she'd be there, he didn't think she'd still be at the library. He shook his head to himself, wondering exactly what he was going to do when he found her.

Arriving at the Chinese take-out, he shut off the geep and got out, his bare feet complaining as he stepped on pebbles and shards of glass. He ignored the pricks of pain as he walked up to the door and peered in. He knocked on it, and was startled as an old Chinese lady flew out from a back room, jabbering in Chinese. He got the impression she didn't want him there as she pointed furiously to the "CLOSED" neon sign glowing in his face. He nodded, then tried to open the door.

The Chinese lady rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "No." she said firmly, glaring at him.

Murdoc tried to open it again, causing the Chinese lady to walk up close to the glass.

"Close." She said. "What you waaaant!"

Murdoc grinned sheepishly as he tried to describe Noodle. "Uh…a girl? Um..short…uh…she's got hair and stuff…um…" The Chinese lady smirked at the bassist before sighing and nodding. She opened the door and Murdoc slipped inside.

"Girl left. She said she go to park. Bench, maybe?" Her green eyes twinkled as she patted Murdoc's shoulder. "Go find daughter, be nice, say hi from me. Okay, okay, okay, okay? Bye bye." With that the Chinese lady shoved the bassist out and locked the door once more, disappearing in the back room once more Leaving Murdoc to gape after her. Daughter? What the hell? Murdoc's red eye twitched as he revved up the geep again.

"Daughter…" he muttered with horror. "Don' e'en wanna THINK about who the mother is…" He shuddered as he pressed the gas pedal, searching for a park.

The air was cold as Murdoc stepped out, finding a small park away from the downtown lights, the only one he could find. His bare feet led him through dewed grass as he searched for Noodle. Looking around, he saw many homeless people, but none looked anything like the little Jap.

Finally, his eyes rested on a huddled figure shivering in the night, curled up on a bench. He made his way forward, his guess correct as he caught sight of Noodle's purple jacket she was draped under. She was asleep, shivering in her dreams, and he couldn't help it but wish he had another jacket to put on her. He ignored the fact that he wished this, then crouched down to eye level with the girl.

She stirred in her sleep, pulling her jacket tighter around her, whimpering something about murdering a certain bassist. He grinned in spite of himself. She was too much like him, her revenge meter was set at an incredibly high height. He reached out before he could stop himself and touched her silky hair, marveling on how it could shine this brilliantly in such little light. Then he jerked his hand back, coughing awkwardly to himself, as though someone was watching. But it was just him and Noodle in the cold park.  
Noodle stopped mumbling at his touch, and she fell silent, falling into a deeper sleep. Murdoc sighed, making his decision.

"Sorry, love, for wot I did," he whispered, though he knew she couldn't hear. That was kind of his point, so she would never know Murdoc Niccals could apologize. "I guess I jus' wasn' used to havin' a girl in Kong. Sorry." He watched her for a few seconds, then stood up, and walked off.

He got as far as the geep, then slammed his fist against the trunk. "Damn…I'm going soft. Someone kill me." He stood there for a second, then turned around, cursing silently at himself at every step he made back towards the small girl.

Reaching Noodle, reached out with his arms, hesitated, then without another thought, picked her up bridal style, the girl light in his arms, her head tucked against his chest. His breath caught in his throat. "Wot has she done to meh?" he muttered as he steeled his face, disallowing himself for his expression to get all gooey, and turned around, walking in the direction of the geep.

However, when he almost tripped on a rock, he watched in horror as Noodle's eyes opened a bit, and she sleepily croaked, "M…Murdoc-sama?"

Murdoc's eyes widened, and he looked around frantically, his brain gearing around for an excuse, a diversion, but none came.

Noodle must have thought her prediction was insane, because she muttered, "Weird….d-dream?" her English halting as it came out, then she fell asleep again, this time her arms wrapped around his chest, making Murdoc's eyes bug out of his head. Not even the girl's he "paid" were this sweet. Not that he was thinking anything perverted, it's just…Noodle was a cute little girl, and her gestures, even though she thought she was asleep, made him smile to himself. All the while cursing at himself at the same time for going soft.

He finally arrived at the geep, and laid her gently on the seat that he leaned back so she could lay down. Surprised at himself for being so careful, he was a bit dazed as he started it up and started driving towards Kong, it still in the direct middle of the night.

Stealing occasional glances at Noodle, he drove fairly fast, arriving at Kong in merely twenty minutes.

Hoping no one was awake enough to hear him park the geep, he quickly shut it off and closed the door quietly as he went around to Noodle's side. He took her out in the same way, and this time, she seemed half awake, half asleep and in a haze. She opened her arms sleepily as he opened the door to get her, and he picked her up, her arms now wrapped around his neck. He swallowed nervously, hoping desperately no one was looking out their windows or that no zombies that could talk were watching him, only to spill it later. He made it inside, walked up the four flights of stairs so Shaun wouldn't give him away, and arrived at Noodle's bedroom door.

He nudged it open with his still bare foot, and walked in, Noodle mumbling something in Japanese against his chest. He hoped she didn't mind the horrible stench she must be tasting from his shirt. Wait, what was he thinking? He didn't care. Nope. No way…………arg.

He lay the tiny girl down on her bed, tucking her in messily, though making sure she wouldn't fall off or anything. He had no experience in tucking-in, and awkwardly brushing her violet hair from her eyes. He could have sworn one of Noodle's eyes was open when he left her room, but he just swallowed it and closed the door quietly. He turned around and sagged against the closed door, astonished at what he had just done. Something about the girl had changed him, though he didn't dare think how or why.

When he finally was in his Winnebago, he tore off his shirt, not even allowing himself to wonder why it now smelled like ramen and milk. He just collapsed in bed, thankful that that stupid twinge of guilt was finally gone.

His thought wandered sleepily as he was dozing, and his eyes kept drooping. Replays of what he just did drifted through his head.

_Noodle's soft face gazed up at him. "Murdoc-sama?" Her voice was sweet…wonder why she thought she was dreaming. Hope she wasn't actually awake when I put her in bed…Can't imagine what dullard would say if she told him. Though, she's still not talking in English to them so…I guess it wouldn't---FUCK! I gotta stop thinking about her! Jeez. You'd think I'd had a crush on her…I mean it's understood, cause she's so cute and—NO! AH! Okay, gotta think about something else._

_Paula. Let's think about Paula. Wait, why would I think about Paula? That two timer, what was I thinking----WHAT THE FUCK AM I THINKING! WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME? Sheesh. Come on, there's gotta be something I can think about…Food. I never did eat. I spent the whole time giviiiiiing—NOOO! _

Murdoc smacked his forehead.

_Stop it, you're being ridiculous. Just think…abouuuut……your bass. You need some new strings. I'll have to go to the store a bit later to get some. I wonder if Noodle needs any for her Les Paul………_

_Shaddup, Murdoc. Just shut up._

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_(Fwee! i love the idea of Muds being all sweet but hating himself for it. Or mebbe thats just me...heh...)_


	13. Truce

_(Eez the thirteenth chapter, and is possibly the last or second to last chapter of this story.. Enjoy.)_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Gorillaz, yadda yadda yadda._

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The next morning in Kong, Russel woke up, his head swarming with "MUST FIND NOODLE" as he pulled on his clothes.

He hurried downstairs, meeting the sight of Murdoc sitting quietly at the table, poking his cereal as if he expected it to be alive. Russ wasn't surprised, 2D probably poisoned it ever since he started thinking for sure that Murdoc had been the one to be rid of Noodle. The big drummer shook his head. Stupid bassist, he was toast.

Russ grunted a good morning to 2D who waved tiredly, then ignored Murdoc entirely as he whipped up some pancakes. He shoved some in front of 2D, then scarfing his own, bolting them down like he was about to die if he didn't eat them as fast as humanly possible.

"Jeez, Russ, think ya can ea' any faster?" he heard Murdoc ask him, and he sat there for a minute, confused. Murdoc had never called him by his true name, always used some pathetic painful reminder that he was overweight. He swallowed his bite and merely glared at Murdoc.

"This doesn't change anythin'," Russ growled as he started on his fifth pancake.

"What don't?"

"You callin' me Russ."

"Who the fuck cares? I wasn't thinkin', oh well." Murdoc went back to his cereal, then shoved it aside and walking into the TV room.

2D gazed sadly at his stack of pancakes, almost wishing he did like to eat at the sight of the golden brown bread. But whatever appetite the singer had had been diminished by the missing guitarist.

"So are 'e gonna go fin' Noods today?" he asked timidly, peeking through his spiky hair at Russ. Unbeknownst to the other two, Murdoc grinned to himself and turned down the TV, listening with amusement.

"Shouldn' be too hard," the bassist put in.

"Why, you probably boxed her up again and shipped her off to Japan!" Snarled the New Yorker, but Murdoc shook his head.

"Neh, that would 'ave taken too much tape." He said sarcastically and rolled his eyes.

2D picked at his food, thinking about Noodle, wondering where she could be.

Silence took over the kitchen, Russ just sat fuming at his food before throwing it away. "I'm takin' the geep, Niccals. Gimme the keys."

Murdoc looked lazily up. "Where you goin'?"

"To get Noods."

"Wouldn't it be easie' if you jus' looked in her room? I mean, it'd be a lot harde' to fit the geep inta the lift." He grinned as Russ' face contorted into one of horror, confusion, amusement, and hatred.

Murdoc turned up the TV as Russ backed away from him, the drummer obviously not believing him, so he tossed him the geep's keys. "'Ave fun, duckies." He muttered sarcastically. "Not like yeh're gonna find 'er out there."

Russ glared at him, grabbing the keys and starting to walk towards the lift. He punched the button, still fuming, when it opened.

Sleepy-eyed Noodle gazed up at him, rubbing her eyes, her hair messy and tangled around her face as she was dressed in an oversized T-shirt she had raided from Russel's room, so it fell way past her elbows and feet, puddling on the floor. Her right hand was closed in a soft plush toy of a monkey. "Ohaiyo gozaimasu, Russel-sama!" she said in a sleepy voice, padding past him, one hand still rubbing her left eye.

Russ' mouth dropped open as he watched her stumble past him, no words emitting from his throat, but the occasional disbelieving squeak was heard.

2D scrambled up and raced forward, hugging the girl tightly as she just looked up at him with sleepy eyes, then hugging him tiredly back. She let go and wandered to the cupboard, pulling out a ramen packet and offering it to Russ in question.

"Sure, sure," he managed to say and heated it up in the microwave as he turned and gazed questioningly at Murdoc who merely grinned and walked back to the TV room, away from sight.

Suddenly, in the middle of waiting for her food, Noodle's eyes snapped open as she remembered the events of the day before. She stormed over to the TV room, her eyes burning.

"You…you…" she sputtered, searching for a word in English she knew that was horrible enough, but Murdoc merely clamped her mouth shut with a hand. Her eyes burned even more as she stared at him, waiting for him to move.

"I brough' ya back, didn' I?" he asked her, and she her muffled yells were silent.

"'E'sides, don' you remember wot 'appened when I found ya?" he asked, astonished at slightly creeped out as he seemed to want her to remember.

Noodle's eyes were thoughtful as he removed his hand, waiting for her to say something, then her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open as she seemed to recall that it wasn't a dream. Then Murdoc grimaced and leaned back.

"I should NOT 'ave said that…" he muttered. "You didn' hear that, awright?"

Noodle's mouth was still open as she shook her head from side to side.

"Truce?" he asked her in a nervous voice. "Truce and you don' tell any a' them out there wot I did?'

Noodle closed her mouth and hopped up on the couch next to him, gazed at him for a second, then smiled. "Hai!" Murdoc sighed with relief, then steeled his face once more as he pretended nothing happened.

"Now wot are you doin' here?" he snarled at her as 2D and Russ came in to join them. "Get out, this is my spot!"

For a second, Noodle looked hurt, but then she noticed a certain glitter in the bassist's eyes, and that the corner of his mouth was upturned ever so slightly, then she stuck out her tongue at him and skipped off to her ramen.

&&&&&&&&&&&&

For the next few weeks, Russ and 2D didn't see much of a change in the bantering between the two guitarists, they didn't suspect anything.

But for some reason, every time they walked into a room where Noodle and Murdoc sat together, they jumped, and started glaring at each other like it was mandatory, though no one really thought much of it.

The band skyrocketed with Noodle playing lead guitar, and their first debut album made their popularity shoot way up, causing people to scream and gasp whenever they were sighted. Their concerts were major successes, and suddenly they found themselves with too much stuff from all the moolah they gained from their merchandise.

And there were no more attempts on shipping Noodle off to "Taiwan, or where'er she was from" as Murdoc often said.

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_(Weeellll, i'm done with this story. mebbe i'll do another one soon. i know it was sort of one of those "and they lived happily ever after" cheesy endings, but it was the best i could do. r&r would be good. THANK YOU FOR ZE REVIEWS AND STUFFS! -waves-)_


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